Headrest means



1947- A. J. MAY ET AL HEAD REST MEANS Filed Jan. 27, 1944 IN V EN TORS BY (2mm? am n ezhnfz or y Patented Oct. 21,1947

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEADREST MEANS 7 Claims. 1. This invention relates to head rest means such as employed, for example, on dental and other operating chairs and,,more particularly, to means for mounting the individual pads of such a head rest, one object of the invention being to provide an improved pad mounting of the above ing of the character described having the further advantage that the pad may be quickly and easily detached and remounted, to enable it to be conveniently cleaned and sterilized in accordance with sanitary requirements.

A further object is to. afford a pad mounting having the above advantages in a simple and practical type of construction capable of being economically manufactured and of being maintained in use with increased convenience to the operator and comfort to the patient.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa head rest embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar enlarged view wit-h parts detached and parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the head rest pad detached;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the mounting;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, central section of a sleeve part detached;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified form of construction, and

Fig. 7 is an elevation of parts shown in Fig. 6.

The invention is embodied, in the present instance, by Way of illustration, in a head rest for chairssuch as employed, for example, for dental and other surgical work, of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent to A. J. May, No- 2,062,592, comprising a bracket arm [0 adapted at its lower end II for attachment, by any known or suitable means, to the back of the chair. The upper end of the bracket has branching arms 12, each carrying at its outer end a head rest pad I3. The arm ends are inclined inwardly to suitably position the pads for receivingand supporting the. headof an occupant of the chair, each pad having its front face. suitably dished for that purpose, as shown. The 1nvention reside more particularly in improved means for mounting and supporting each pad on its bracket. arm I 2'.

The pads may be of any known or suitable material, such as rubber, plastic composition, or the like, being, in. the presentinstance, molded from a plastic composition. Each pad and its mounting are the same in construction so that a description of one will suffice for both. Fixed to the rear face of each pad, as by means of screws I5, is a metal plate [6 having projecting rearwardly thereof a socket I8, formed with a circumferential groove IQ for a purpose to be later explained and servingto receive one end of a flexible mounting member hereafter described.

a The outer end of eachof the bracket arms 12 is similarly formedwith a cylindrical wall 20 providing interiorly thereof asocket 20a formed with a circumferential groove 2! and adapted to receive the other end of the flexible mounting member for connecting it with the pad.

The means for connecting the bracket and pad comprises an elongated, preferably rod-like member 22 of elastic material, such as rubber, or a rubber-like substance, capable of being readily molded in the desir'e'dishape. Eachend of rod 2'2is preferably molded and fused inan encasing metal sleeve for cooperation withthe socket of the pad and bracket, respectively,.the sleeve 23 at the pad end being preferably somewhatlonger than the sleeve. 24 at the end for connection with the bracket but having otherwise the same construction,as shown. In addition to such attachment of the sleeve to. the rod, each sleeve is preferably slightly smaller in diameter than the rod 22 and is likewise formedwith an outwardly facing shoulder; as at 25, on the sleeve 23, and 26 on the sleeve 24, to more securely lockeach sleeve to the rod.

Sleeve 23' has an outer diameter nicely fitted to the diameter of' thepad socket l8 to hold the pad-without play but so that it may be readily removed from and replaced on the-sleeve 23. Sleeve 24. at the opposite end' of rod Z2 is similarly dimensioned to afford a close but detachable fit in the, socket the end of the bracket. With one sleeved end of the rod mounted in the socket of the bracket arm and its. other end. inserted in the socket of. the pad, the padis flexibly and detachably supported in pQsition for use, as shown.

Means are provided for cooperation with the grooves 19 and 2| of the pad and bracket sockets Sleeve 24 at the opposite end of the rod has in' its groove 21a a similar spring ring 29, adapted to be compressed within its groove and to snap into a groove 21 in the wall of the socket in the bracket, to yieldably retain the rod in the bracket.

Ring 29 is preferably of greater stiffness than ring 28, so that an outward pull on pad I3 serves to detach the pad and leave the rod in the bracket, but so that the rod itself may be detached from the bracket by a further and more forceful pull upon it.

The material for rod 22 is selected, in relation to the free length'and diameter of the rod, to make the pad resiliently flexible to the desired degree in lateral directions, as well understood inthe art, while leaving the rod substantially unyielding to a compressive force exerted longitudinally along its axis, so as to resist operating pressure on the head of the patient. It has been found that a rubber, or rubber-like material, may be readily employed, and such material is preferred at the present time.

A somewhat modified embodiment is shown in Figs. 6 and '7, in which the sleeves 23 and 24 at the pad and bracket ends, respectively, are not molded on the rod 3|, but are of somewhat smaller internal diameter than the diameter of the rod and are forcibly pressed and tightly heldthereon by friction. To further insure the sleeves against detachment, metal pins 32 and 33 are passed through openings in the rod and are of such length as to project at their ends outside the rod and engage the shoulders 25 and 26, respectively, as shown, the pins being thus inserted before the sleeves are slid to their final position at the outer ends of the rod 3!. Sleeves 23 and 24 are provided with the same retaining rings 28 and 29, respectively, and this modified embodiment is otherwise the same in construction and operation as the preferred embodiment described above.

It'will be apparent from the above construction that the invention provides amounting by which the pad is adapted to yield in a convenient and comfortable way to conform its position to the head of the patient, while firmly supporting the head against operating pressure. This is accomplished by a construction which provides, furthermore, for quickly and easily detaching the pad, as shown in Fig. 3, for cleaning and sterilizing it, from time to time, in accordance with sanitary requirements. The mounting is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as convenient in use.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art withinthe spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a head rest for an operating chair, a bracket for said chair, a head rest pad, and means comprising a rod of resiliently flexible material having one end secured by a substantially rigid connection to said bracket and the other end detachably connected to and supporting said pad, said rod being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to enable said pad to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, but being substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressure.

2. In a head rest for an operating chair, a. bracket for said chair, a head rest pad member, and means comprising an elongated rubber member having one end connected to said bracket. one of said members being formed with a socket and the other with a shank portion detachably inserted in said socket to enable said pad to be detached, said elongated member being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to enable said pad to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, but being substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressures.

3. In a head rest for an operating chair, a bracket for said chair, a head rest pad formed with a socket, and means comprising a rubber head rest pad'formed with a socket, and a substantially straight rod of elastic material having one end detachably inserted in the socket of said bracket and the other end detachably inserted in the socket of said pad to detachably support the same, said rod being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to enable said pad to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, butbeing substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressures.

5. In a head rest for an operating chair, a bracket for said chair, a head rest pad formed with a socket, an elongated member of elastic material having one end connected to said bracket and having on its other end a metallicsleeve adapted to be detachably inserted in said pad socket, said member being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, but being substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressure, and means for frictionally retaining said pad against inadvertent detachment from said elongated member.

6. In a head rest for an operating chair, a bracket for said chair, a head rest pad provided with a socket having a circumferential roove in the wall thereof, an elongated member of elastic material having one end connected to said bracket and its other end encased in a metallic sleeve adapted to be detachably inserted in said pad socket, said sleeve bein formed with a circumferential groove, and a spring ring arranged in the groove of said sleeve for resiliently engaging in the groove of said socketto yieldably retain said pad on said member, said member being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, but being substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressure.

7. In a head rest for an operating chair, a bracket for said chair formed with a socket, a head rest pad formed with a socket, an elongated member of elastic material having each end thereof encased in a metallic sleeve, said member having one sleeved end thereof detachably inserted in the socket of said bracket and the other sleeved end detachably inserted in the socket of said pad, said member being resiliently flexible in lateral directions to enable said pad to conform its position to the head of an occupant of the chair, but being substantially unyielding to longitudinal force to support the head against operating pressure, and a spring means interposed between each sleeved end of said member and its socket to retain said member against inadvertent detachment, from said pad and bracket.

ADAM J. MAY. CLARENCE G. MAXSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

